A shirtless fellow was driving around a left curve with his window open.

The judge told the story:

“…a bee flew into the car and landed on his bare torso (he was not wearing a shirt). He glanced down and observed it was alive and crawling up his stomach.”

The fellow “…was so engrossed with the bee that he made no attempt to apply his brakes or to hold his car its proper course.” This caused the vehicle to continue turning to the left after the curve and into oncoming traffic, resulting in a crash.

There had been a trial, with a jury. The jury did not find the bare bellied bee basket-case (my words) at fault.

On appeal, the highest court in British Columbia came to the opposite conclusion.

The court outlined the driver’s legal duty: “…to conduct himself as not to expose other uses of the highway to unnecessary risk of harm by default in the management of his car ‘in respect of reasonable care, reasonable skill or reasonable self-possession, whether in emergencies or ordinary circumstances.’”

The driver’s lack of “competent self-command” (the words of the judge) was negligent, exposing other road users to unnecessary risk of harm.

If you have a lack of competent self-command, whether in the face of small, furry animals darting out in front of your car, a spider crawling out from your steering wheel or a bee landing on your bare tummy, you are a ticking time bomb.

What might you do to minimize the risk you pose to other road users?

You might consider getting psychological help to work through your issues.

Alternatively, if spiders are your thing, how about scour your vehicle for spiders before sitting behind the wheel, eliminating the risk of a surprise appearance.

If a bee would throw you in a tizzy, how about drive with your windows closed.

Or take the bus. Driving is a very serious responsibility. If you cannot exercise “competent self-command,” you shouldn’t be driving.

Paul began practicing law in 1995 in a general litigation practice. Of the various areas of litigation, he became most drawn to and passionate about pursuing fair compensation for personal injury victims, which has gradually became his exclusive area of practice. Paul's practice is restricted to acting only for the injured victim, never for ICBC nor for other insurance companies.